Be Safe
"Be Safe" is a BOTGD 2 oneshot written on September 16, 2019. Summary Full Text (Takes place right before Moving Out) “I wish we could go with you,” Sven said as he watched his parents pack their saddlebags for Shadow while sitting on their bed in the master bedroom. “I know, buddy,” Brandt said as he looked through a drawer for a few pieces of clothing, “but you’re still a little young.” “And you need some experience first,” Grey added. “Plus, you still need time to get back on your feet after Rhenco, and we,” she walked up to Sven gently lifting his chin so that they made eye contact, “need you to look after your sisters and grandmother.” Sven furrowed his eyebrows together. “I thought we’re going to stay with Aunt Asha, Siri, and Katryn.” “Yes, but Dad and I still need you to keep an eye on things,” Grey said. “Grandma is old-and don’t tell her I said that.” Sven chuckled at his mother’s comment. “Aunt Asha, your sisters, and Katryn don’t have much fighting experience,” Grey continued, “so I need you and Siri to look out for them and for the village in case something happens. Plus, you will be Chief one day, and you can use this to do some more training with the council.” “I guess,” Sven said shrugging. Grey had a valid point. Even though she was going to help the raid, part of being Chief was protecting your loved ones and your village, and if he could at least help with that, he wouldn’t feel so useless. “Would they let me listen in on their meetings and such even though you’re not here?” “Of course,” Grey said smirking, “they don’t have a choice.” She ruffled his thick brown hair earning a laugh from her son. Brandt chuckled as he finished placing the last item in his bag before closing it tightly. “Alright…is that everything?” he asked his wife. “I’m all set,” the Chief said holding up her bag. Sven’s smile fell from his face again hearing the exchange between his parents. It was almost time for them to leave…for the family to separate for a little while…for them to say goodbye for now. But how long was “for now?” How long was this raid going to take? Neither of them knew for sure. Brandt obviously noticed the sadness on their son’s face and gently patted him on the back to get his attention. “Hey, why don’t you go get your sisters and meet us outside, okay?” he suggested to the teenager. Sven looked up at his father and nodded before standing up and doing what he was told. He ran up to their bedroom, where he saw Dagny and Kari sitting on their respective beds. Both girls looked up at him, and they could already tell what he was about to tell them: that their parents were leaving real soon. Without saying anything else, the Felman kids walked down the stairs and saw their parents outside the front door with their grandmother. “I feel like we’re back to where we were 25 years ago,” Ingrid said as she hugged her daughter tightly. “I know,” Grey said as she hugged her mother just as tight. “But it’s not for long this time, Mom. It’ll be just a few days.” The Chief was immediately reminded of when she left for the first Rebellion 25 years ago…the night she said goodbye to her parents before leaving for what ended up being 3 years. However, this time, she promised that it wouldn’t be for long…just a few days, especially since she had three kids this time. “Be safe, my darling,” Ingrid whispered. “You may be a Chief, but you are still my baby.” “I will, Mom,” Grey replied. “I love you.” “I love you too,” Ingrid added. As soon as Ingrid finally released her daughter, she finally turned to her son-in-law. “You be safe out there, Brandt.” Brandt smiled and hugged his mother-in-law. “Of course, Ingrid,” he replied. “We’ll be back soon.” “I’m going to hold you to that.” As soon as the in-laws pulled away from each other, both Grey and Brandt turned to the three teenagers standing by the front door. Dagny and Kari had tears forming in their eyes while Sven tried his hardest to put on a brave face. Normally, Grey would’ve reassured her kids that there was no reason to be upset, but that was when Grey remembered that this was a first for the Felman children. Over the years, anytime Grey needed to leave, it was only for a meeting with King Haddock or to see Seasick, and when they needed to see Seasick, the whole family joined more often than not. No one had to worry about Grey or Brandt being in grave danger. “You three take care of each other, okay?” the Chief finally said smiling at them. The three teens all nodded with tears in their eyes. “And listen to your Aunt Asha?” Brandt added with a raised eyebrow. Sven, Dagny, and Kari all nodded again. Kari sniffled as the tears poured down her cheeks and ran forward wrapping her arms around her parents holding them both tightly. “I’ll miss you guys, Mommy,” Kari said in between sobs. “We all will.” Grey felt her heart snap in two hearing Kari refer to her as “Mommy.” Kari rarely did this anymore now that she was a teenager. However, something both Grey and Brandt had noticed was that Kari referred to them as “Mommy” and “Daddy” whenever she was upset or scared, which made this goodbye all the more heart-breaking. “We’ll miss you all, too, baby girl,” Brandt said running a hand through her brown hair. “But we’ll be back soon. It’s only a stealth mission.” “That’s right,” Grey quickly said smiling at their youngest daughter. “There’s no bloodshed to worry about.” “I know,” Kari said. “It’s just…you’ve never gone away this long before…for this reason.” “You know she’s right, Mom,” Dagny said hugging herself as tears streamed down her face. Grey and Brandt gave their two oldest children warm smile and held out their arms allowing them to join in the embrace. “I know,” she whispered, “but I promise that this will be only until High Central is dealt with. And we’ll tell you all about it when we get back.” “We love you guys so much,” Brandt said holding his wife and three kids close. “We love you so much too, Dad,” Sven said allowing himself to be enveloped in his parents’ embrace. “Come back soon.” “Count on it,” Grey said. “And if you need anything, send a letter. We’ll come home as soon as we can.” After another minute of the warm family group hug, the Felmans finally pulled away from each other, and Grey and Brandt walked toward the rebels with Shadow in tow leaving Sven, Dagny, and Kari standing at the porch with Ingrid and their dragons. “They’ll be okay, right?” Grey asked her husband once they were out of earshot. “Of course,” Brandt said taking his wife’s hand and kissing it, “they’re our kids, aren’t they?” The Chief smiled before kissing him on the cheek. “You’re right,” she said. “Come on, the sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back to them.” With that, they walked over to Deoiridh was standing waiting for everyone to arrive.